West Texas Intermediate crude traded near a six-week high amid speculation that U.S. distillate stockpiles declined as cold weather boosted demand for heating fuels in the world’s biggest oil consumer. Futures were little changed in New York after advancing for a fifth day yesterday. Distillate fuels , a category that includes heating oil and diesel, probably shrank by 2.13 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg News survey before an Energy Information Administration report tomorrow. A winter storm may spread snow and sleet across the nation’s south, the U.S. National Weather Service said. WTI for March delivery was at $99.94 a barrel, down 12 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 11:43 a.m. Sydney time. The contract rose 18 cents to $100.06 yesterday, the highest settlement since Dec. 27. The volume of all futures traded was about 78 percent below the 100-day average. Prices […]